Our Duty

It is our duty to help those people who are sleeping rough, are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

If you're at risk of becoming homeless click Duty to Refer below.

Duty to refer

Every local authority should help homeless people in the same way. The rules are set out in the Housing Act 1996 Part VII (as amended) Homeless Act 2002.)

Homeless Reduction Act 2017

The Housing Service Team is located at the council offices, The Gateway, 92-96 Westgate Street, Gloucester GL1 2PE.

Who has a duty to refer?

  • Prisons (public and contracted out)
  • Youth Offender institutions and Youth offending teams
  • Secure training centres (public and contracted out) and colleges
  • Probations services (community rehabilitation companies and national probations service)
  • Jobcentre plus
  • Accident and Emergency services provided in a hospital
  • Urgent treatment centres, and hospitals in their capacity of providing in-patient treatment
  • Social Service Authorities

Who else can refer?

  • Anyone - Every Local Authority in Gloucestershire is offering this route to all agencies that are aware of someone who is homeless or threatened with homelessness.  Individuals can also self refer.

Referring service users that may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a local housing authority email: dutytorefer@gloucester.gov.uk 

For useful information about rough sleeping or how to help someone in this situation please click here (PDF, 316.6 KB) .